Arcola Pettway facts for kids

Arcola Pettway (1934–1994) was an American artist. She was part of the famous Gee's Bend group of quilters. Her beautiful artwork is kept in the collection of the High Museum of Art.

Her Life

Arcola Young grew up with her mother, Deborah Young, and her grandfather, Reverend Paul S. Pettway. Her mother also raised Arcola's cousin, Leola Pettway. Leola remembered their childhood as being full of fun and adventure. They enjoyed activities like fishing, singing in church choirs, and making up their own games.

Later, Arcola married Joseph Pettway. He was the brother of another famous quilter, Lucy T. Pettway. Arcola and Joseph had 12 children together. They worked on a farm and Arcola was also a singer in a gospel group called the Golden Angels.

Her Work

Arcola learned to quilt from her family. Her mother first taught her cousin, Leola, how to quilt. Leola was five years older than Arcola. Together, both Leola and Arcola's mother taught Arcola how to "piece" and "quilt." This means they taught her how to sew small fabric pieces together to make a design, and then how to stitch those layers together to create a warm blanket.